06.16.

13
An Analysis of Michelson's 1913 Experiment with Rotating Mirrors.
Vitali Sokolov, Gennadiy Sokolov
gennadiy@vtmedicalstaffing.com

The undulatory theory and the emission theory predicted a different value for velocity after reflection
from a moving mirror. In order to decide which theory predicts correctly, Michelson carried out an
interferometric experiment with rotating mirrors in 1913 in which the fringe shift had to depend on the
speeds of reflected beams (Fig.1).

B
C
O E
D
A
S
Fig.1.

In the interferometer, beams reflect from mirrors D and C and rotate around axis O.
Beam 1 reflects from mirror D, covers the distance DEC, reflects from mirror C and reaches mirror A.
Beam 2 reflects from mirror C, covers the distance CED, reflects from mirror D reaches mirror A.
The distances: DEC = 12.16 m , DC = 0.265 m.

2VD
d=
During the time the beams cover the distance DEC, mirrors C and D shift by C , and the beams
cover different distances 12.16 + 2d and 12.16 - 2 d. Assuming that beams travel with different speeds
C+V and C-V, Michelson determined the fringe shift by the time difference:
12.16 + 2d
T1 =
Beams cover the distances 12.16 + 2d and 12.16 - 2d in time intervals C + rV and
12.16 2d
T2 =
C rV , where r = 0 in accordance with the undulatory theory, and r = 1 or r = 2 in
accordance with the corpuscular theory, and the calculated fringe shift is equal to
C (T1 T2 ) D V
= = 4 (2 r )
C .

In the case where r = 0, that is, beams with wavelength = 0.6 travel with identical speed C, and the
distances CD = 0.265 , DEC = 12.16 and the angular velocity of rotation N =1000 rev/min ,
DV 8 Dl
=8 = N
the calculated fringe shift is determined by the expression C 60 C and is equal to 3.76.
The average experimental value was equal to = 3.81 .

The calculation of the fringe shift can be performed by the difference of the wave fronts N1 and N 2
contained in the distances covered by interfering beams 1 and 2, as is shown in our paper [G&V
Sokolov. "A Theory of the Interferometer with Changing Frequencies"].

When the angular velocity, N =1000 rev/min , l = DC = 0.265 m , the mirrors move with a linear
lN
V = ln =
speed of 60 13.875367553354920136543341609484 /. While beams cover the distance
2VD
d=
DEC at speed V, the mirrors shift by C = 0.56280424989475828928413880902676 and
therefore beams cover different distances in the interferometer (Fig.2):

2V
Beam 1 reflects from the mirror D at the moment t2 , with frequency . 1 = 0 (1 + ) . During the time
C
t4 t2 it covers the distance DEC plus the distance d at which mirror C shifts to the left and by the
moment t6 covers the distance CB plus d and by the moment t6 reaches the mirror A.
That is, beam 1 covers the distance AD + DEC + d + d + BC + BA .

t0 t2 t4 t6 t8
Beam 1
AD DEC + d d + CB BA
A
t1 t3 t5 t7
Beam 2

AB BC + + CED - d DA - d
A

BC AB +
Fig.2
Beam 2 up to the moment t1 covers the distance AB, reflects from mirror C at the moment t3 , with
2V
frequency 2 = 0 (1 ) . During the time t5 t3 , it covers the distance CED minus the distance d
C
at which mirror D shifts to the right during t5 t3 and at the moment t7 covers the distance DA minus
d reaches mirror A. That is beam 2 covers the distance AB + BC + CED-d + AD - d .

The distances AD and BC are not known, but they can be excluded from the calculation because
they are the same in both optical paths of the beams. Therefore we assume that
- beam 1 covers the distance (DEC + d) and (AB + d),
- beam 2 covers the distance (CED - d) and (AB - d) .
The distance AB is also not known, but since it is obvious that it has to be more than thedistance CD =
0.265 m , we assume that AB = 0.3 m.

Reflecting from mirrors moving with speed V, beams change frequencies.

V
Beam 1 reaches mirror D with speed C+V and increases its frequency from 0 to 0 (1 + ).
C
V
Reflected photons of frequency 0 (1 + ) first move with speed C relative to the mirror and with C+V
C
relative to the laboratory. Reradiated by the atoms of immovable air, photons increase their frequency
 V V 2V V 2 2V
by (1 + ) to 1 = 0 (1 + )2 = 0 (1 + + 2 ) 0 (1 + ) and with speed C relative to the
C C C C C
interferometer, cover the distance DEC.
When beam 1 reflects from mirror C, its frequency chanjes from 1 to
2V 2V 2V 4V 2
= 1 (1 ) = 0 (1 + )(1 ) = 0 (1 2 ) 0
C C C C

2V
Beam 2 analogically first decreases its frequency from 0 to 2 0 (1 ) , with frequency 2 ,
C
covers the distance CED and after reflection from mirror D increases frequency to
2V 4V 2
= 2 (1 + ) = 0 (1 2 ) 0 .
C C
2V 2V
So, beams cover the distance DEC with different frequencies 1 = 0 (1 + ) , 2 = 0 (1 ) and
C C
then interfere with identical frequency 0 .

Beam 1 covers (DEC + d) with frequency 1 and with wavelength

C C
1 = = 0 1 = 0.00000005553988794058717136996522 .
1 (C + 2V ) = 0.59999994446011205941282863003478 ,

Beam 2 covers (DEC - d) with frequency 2 and with wavelength

C C
2 = = 0 2 =
2 (C 2V ) = 0.60000005553989822285291646619044 , 0.00000005553989822285291646619044 .

TBeams cover the distances (AB + d) and (AB - d with identical frequency 0 and 0 = 0.6, =0
.

12160000 + d 300000 + d
N1 = N1.1 + N1.2 = +
1 0.6 = 20766670.418695086126410442706083 ,
12160000 d 300000 d
N 2 = N 2.1 + N 2.2 = + = 20766662.914638420862966585584233 ,
2 0 .6
N1 N 2 = 7.50405666526344385712185

1 N1.1
0 2 N 2.1
= 1.876014253143882811758953750740 , 0 = 1.8760140794878391168019713900989
1N1 2 N 2
N1 N 2 = 7.50405666526344385712185 = + = 3.7520283326317219285609251408389

N1 N 2 - = 3.7520283326317219285609248591611
 So, the fringe shift calculated by the difference N1 N 2 exactly coincides with the shift
DV 8 Dl
=8 = N
C 60 C = 3.76, calculated by the time difference. That proves Michelson's assumption
that beams cover the distance in his interferometer with the identical speed .

However the fact that the beams reflected from moving mirror travel with speed C should not be
considered as confirmation of the undulatory theory prediction, because actually, beams after
reflection, move with speeds C + V C V which confirms the ballistic theory. The speed becomes
equal to only because of re-emission of the photons by immovable air. The fact that beams travel in
the interferometer with different frequencies but the interference pattern is immovable clearly proves
4V 2
that the frequencies in this interferometer change from 0 to 0 (1 2 ) exactly as we have shown
C
above.